I want to tell you about the most dominant franchise in baseball history.

An organization that was home to Satchel Page, arguably the greatest picture of all time,

Smokey Joe Williams, who once struck out 26 Kansas

City Monarchs in a 12- inning game. Oscar Charleston, whom my friend Buck O'Neill would say without

hesitation, was the greatest baseball player he ever saw. James Thomas Cool Papa Bell. Still the greatest nickname in baseball history

and also the fastest man to ever play this game. And then a young, powerful phenom by the name

of Joshua Gibson,

who many called the Black

Babe Ruth. But there are

others who saw Gibson swing that

big bat who would call

Ruth the white Josh Gibson.

Star Power,

fanfare, and championships.

This is the story of the Homestead Grays.

Jive was the hardest hit I ever seen hit a home run.

Former Negro Leaguer John Mule Miles.

I'm playing left for in Chicago, and the manager said, get back, Miles. Get back. I'm back up against the fence and hit my elbow on the fence playing left field. And this is the day that ball hit part of me, and I looked up and it was still going. And it went out of the park, man. And he hit it with one hand. Oh, no, that man hit the ball too hard. Oh, man. He hit over 900 home runs in his career. Over 900.

When we take a closer examination of the Negro leagues and we start to think about the separation of great baseball franchises and great baseball teams, there were always great teams in the Negro Leagues.

But there are three particular baseball franchises that come to mind when I think about the

history of the Negro Leagues.

Those three franchises, the powerful homestead grays, the great Kansas City Monarchs, and

...